Lawn-mower



(No Model.) N

- G. F. JOHNSON.

- LAWN MOWER. v No.25.1,890. j PatentedJan.3,1882.

. INVENTOR:

1 3 L. BY

ATTORNEY.

: WITNESSESE most convenient. manner, and there are a simplification ofparts and reduction of expense fss lowing specification bythe web of thedri\-'ing-whee.

[UNITED STATES E T OFFICE, I

onoaenr. Johnson, on PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

, LAWN iVIOWER.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 251,890, dated January3, l8i2.

i Application filed July 19, 1881. (No model.) i

To all whom it may-concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE F; J OHNSON, a citizen of the United States,residing at Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State ofPennsylvania, have inventedfa new and useful Improvement in Lawn Mowers,whichimprovement is fully set forth in the folings, in which- Figure 1is a vertical section of the lawnmower embodying my invention. Fig. 2 isa top or plan view thereofipartly sectional. Fig. 3

broken away. portion thereof.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding part-sin the severalfigures.

My invention relates to improvements in lawn-mowers; and it consists inproviding the shaft ofthe rotary cutter with ratchetand pawl or clutchmechanisnn'which is locateddirectly on said shaft, the loose wheel orpinion of said mechanism being fitted on the end of the shaft,

so as to be on the outside of the fixed ratchet of said mechanism,whereby, when the mower is run back, the loose pinion slides freely onthe end of the shaft without being obstructed by nuts, collars,&c., onsaid end, and is controlled struction, also, the mower may be set up ina of the mower.

The invention also consists of means for guarding the teeth of thedriving-wheel and loose pinion, and in inclosing the fixed ratchet by abox, which also acts as a bearing for the shaft ofthe rotary cutter. Theinvention also consists of means for ad- 40 justing both the handle androllerof the mower.

Beferrin g to the drawings, A represents the driving-wheels of themower, and B the axle thereof, the inner faces of the rims a of saidshaft D is loosely fitted a pinion, F, each meshing with a toothed rim,a, of the respective driving-wheel A.

and accompanying draw By this cont] the segmental slots.

,the arms K turning on the pivots d.

To the shaft l) are rigidly connected ratchets F, one for each pinion F,the teeth of said ratchets being on their vertical sides, so as toengage with said pinions F, whose adjacent sides are likewise toothed;but the teeth of the ratchets may be formed on the periphery thereof,and the pinions F may carry pawls instead of having toothed sides; butin either case the loose pinions with teeth or pawls and the fixedratchets are all fitted on the shaft D.

When the mower is advanced the. driving- Wheels A operate the pinions F,and power is communicated to the shaft D, and consequently to the rotarycutter.. When the mower is run back the pinions ride freely over theratchets F, and thus the rotary cutter is inoperative. By the lncationof the ratchet and pawl or clutch mechanism on the shaft of the rotary Vwheels and shafts, lessening of noise, simplification of the mower, andreduction of expense.

G represents the roller, and H the handle, of the mower. The roller ispivoted to the b xes 0 or frame of the mower by the bolts 1), which passthrough the arms G of the roller and also the braces H of the handle tothe mower. The upper ends of the sustaining-arms G of the roller arewidened and formed with segmental slots 0, in which enter bolts J, whichare pa sed through the braces and fitted to openings (1, formed incurvilinear order in the boxes behind It willbe seen that ny looseningthe bolts J the height of the roller and position of the handle may beadj nsted as required, the arms of the roller and braces of the handleturning on the bolts b as axes.

, When the adjustment. is accomplished the bolts J are tightened,serving to c amp thearms of the roller and braces of the handle to theboxes C and hold them firmly in place.

K represents the bed-knife, which is con nected to arms K, which arepivoted to the.

boxes 0 or frame of the mower, as at d, and

their upper ends are widened and formed with segmental slots 0, in whichare passed bolts L,

which screw into the boxes 0. By loosening the bolts L the knife may beraisedor lowered, When the adjustment is completed the bolts L aretightened and the arms K thus clamped to the boxes O, whereby thebed-knife remains firmly nected to the axle B, as has been stated, for

which purpose I employ bolts B, which are passed through the bosses orhubs fof said boxes and tightened against the axle. The driving-wheels Aare held in position by bolts B, which enter the ends of the axle.Consequently when the wheels and boxes are worn the bolts B B areloosened, and said former parts moved closely toward each other, afterwhich the bolts are tightened and the parts are again firm andoperative.

It will be noticed rhat'the pinions F are in the spares between theupright plates of the boxes 0 and the spokes or webs of thedrivingwheels. Springs may be employed forholding the pinions F againsttheratchets F; but the pinions will ordinarily engage with the ratclietsby the shaking of the mower, and when they are in contact they interlockand remain so during the forward motion of the mower. The spokes or websof the wheels limit the outward play of the pinions in running backthemower, and prevent displacement of the same from the shaft D.

Among the advantages of the present invention are the'sirnplicity oftheratchet mechanism, the employment of a short shaft, the ease of puttingtogether the parts of the machine, and the inexpensiveness ofthe machineas a whole.

It will be seen that the loose wheel F and fixed ratchet F areplacedside by side on the shaftD,theformerbeingontheoutside. When the ratchetis secured to said shaft D the boxes O are fitted to the axle B. Theloose wheels F are then simply slipped on the ends of the shaft D, andthe driving-wheels applied .to the axle and secured thereon, the outerparts of the mower having been or being subsequently attached inposition. It will now be seen that the wheels or pinions F are loose onthe ends of shaft D, said ends being unobstructed by sleeves or nuts, sothat said pinions have full play in the longitudinal direction of theshaft and move fully from the fixed ratchets when the mower is run back.The limit of motion or play of the pinions is the webs of tiedriving-wheels A.

Another advantage of the invention is the inclosure of the teeth of therims a of driving-wheels A and of the pinions F, so that oil', dirt,&c., working through the axle cannot reach said teeth, and grass anddirt reaching the teeth cannot reach the axle. This is accomplished by arim, a, which is cast with or secured to the side of the box 0, andextends laterally toward the web of the driving-wheel, so as to inclosethe toothed rim; and the rim is segmental, as at a, so as toinclose thepinion F. Should grass or dirt reach said pinion,

the guard a a prevents it passing to the hub of the driving-wheel.Should dirt, 850., drop from the axle on the inner end of the hub, itwill fall on the inner face of the rim to a, so that in either case byremoving the drivingwheel A the rim Ma may be cleansed, and the pinionsF slipped oft" and the obstruction removed. Furthermore, the teeth oftheratchet mechanism are also guarded by boxes a, which are bolted to theinner faces of the boxes 0, so as to inclose the fixed ratchets F andassist in forming bearings for the shaft D of the rotary cutter, as moreclearly shown in Fig. 2.

M represents conical washers, which are fitted on the ends or journalsof the axle B, within the hubs of the driving-wheels, the inner faceswhereof are also conical. A portion of the opening of each washer isflat, to accord with a similar portion on thejournal, whereby the washeris prevented from turning. It is evident that when the hubs and journalsof the wheels are worn the wheels may be moved up and tightened byforcing in the conical washers M and holding them by the bolts B. Thewashers also close the outer ends of the hubs and preventgras's, 850.,passing in between the wheels and axle.

Having thus described my inyention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is- I 1. In a lawn-mower, the rotary cutterand its shaft and the driving-wheel, in combination with the ratchet orclutch mechanism consisting of a fixed ratchet and a loose pinionlocated sideby side, both on said shaft, the pinion being on the outsideand adapted toslide on the shaft, the driving-wheel limiting the slidingmovement, substantially as set forth.

2. The driving-wheel with its toothed rim and the engaging-pinion, incombination with the box 0, having a. laterally-projecting rim, a, theportion a whereof is segmental, substantially as set forth.

3. The driving-wheel A, box C, rotary cutter E and its shaft D, and theratchet mechanism, in combination with the box a, secured to box 0 andinclosing the fixed part of said mechanism, and acting as bearings forsaid shaft, substantially as set forth.

4. The roller G, provided with arms G, the u ppcr widened parts of whichhave segmental slots 0, in combination with the bolts 1) J, the

handle-braces H and the boxes 0 havin 7 7 C curvilinear series of holescl, substantially as set forth.

GEO. F. JOHNSON.

Witnesses:

JOHN A. WIEDERSHEIM, Gnoucn L. PLITT.

IIO

